Ethan's POV

The restless energy in my wolf had reached a boiling point, its agitation clawing at me with every passing moment. It was no longer just a growl in the back of my mind, it was a roar. And he demanded action; he demanded Olivia.

You’re waiting too long, he snarled, pacing within me like a caged animal. She’s slipping through our paws.

I tried to shove the thought aside as I walked the perimeter of the Pack grounds, the cool air doing nothing to soothe the fire burning inside me.

The truth was my wolf wasn’t wrong. The bond between Olivia and me remained incomplete, a frayed thread barely tethered, and every day it wasn’t secured felt like another fray toward losing her.

But what if I chose wrong? What if forcing the bond only pushed her further away?

I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms. I hated this indecision, this constant pull between instinct and restraint. My wolf saw things in black and white: she was ours, and we needed to claim her.

But my own doubts – the scars left by Isabella, the uncertainty of Olivia’s feelings – kept me rooted in gray.

The thought of Olivia turning to Derek sent a fresh wave of anger rolling through me. Derek’s interest in Olivia wasn’t just strategic; there was something about his attention that felt personal, a subtle manipulation I couldn’t quite pin down.

And yet, I couldn’t ignore the reality: Derek’s support could solidify my position, but his demands were the one thing keeping Olivia and me from resolving this mess.

The answer was clear, even if I hated it. If I wanted to protect Olivia, to protect us, I needed to confront Derek directly.

---

It wasn’t long before I found myself at his estate, the grand entryway as cold and imposing as the man himself. Derek was seated in his study, sipping a glass of dark whiskey. He didn’t look surprised to see me, his sharp eyes gleaming as he leaned back in his chair.

“Ethan,” he greeted, his tone carrying that mix of indifference and calculation. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

I closed the door behind me, the sound echoing in the quiet room. “I’m not here for small talk, Derek. We need to talk.”

His lips quirked in amusement, but he gestured for me to sit. “By all means, son. What’s troubling you now?”

I ignored the jab and stood firm. “Your interference with Olivia – what’s your angle? Is this about the Council, or is there more to it?”

Derek tilted his head, his expression unreadable. “Straight to the point. I admire that. But tell me, Ethan, what do you think my angle is?”

I growled low, my wolf urging me to tear through his carefully constructed facade. “You’re using her as leverage. Offering her a deal that forces our bond, knowing it’s the one thing we haven’t completed. Why? What are you really after?”

Derek’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. He took a slow sip of his drink before answering. “What I’m after is ensuring the stability of this Pack—and your future. The Council is watching, Ethan, and they don’t trust uncertainty. If you want to secure your position, you need to eliminate doubt.”

“You mean force a bond I – Olivia might not be ready for?” I snapped, covering my near admission that it was me who wasn’t ready to fully bond again.

Derek swirled the whiskey in his glass, the amber liquid catching the dim light as his gaze pinned me.

"You're so quick to assume, Ethan," he said, his tone casual but his words razor-sharp. "Do you really think Olivia is waiting idly for you to decide your next move? Or have you noticed her leaning elsewhere for… support?"

My wolf bristled at the insinuation. Images of Olivia came unbidden, not just with Matthew, but laughing or leaning into someone else for comfort; comfort I hadn’t truly given her.

My fingers curled against the edge of his desk, the wood groaning under the pressure. "She’s not turning to anyone else," I said, my voice low, taut with barely contained fury.

Derek raised an eyebrow, his smirk deepening. "Is that so? How well do you truly know your Luna? Do you understand what drives her? Or are you busy wallowing in your own doubts to see the woman right in front of you?"

I stiffened, the words landing uncomfortably close to truths I hadn’t fully acknowledged.

Derek leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping into something almost conspiratorial. "You’re so focused on her loyalty that you’ve never questioned if you deserve it. Perhaps she sees you as a placeholder, a means to an end."

A growl rumbled in my chest before I could stop it. My wolf’s agitation surged, and it took everything in me not to lash out. "You don’t know her," I ground out. "You don’t know us."

Derek’s laugh was low and humorless. "Oh, Ethan. You think you’ve claimed her because you wear the title of Mate? Don’t be so naïve. She’s not as simple as you believe, and that’s what makes her beautifully dangerous."

He was deliberately sowing doubt, but there was something in his tone, a flicker of knowledge that suggested Derek knew more about Olivia than he was letting on.

“What are you implying?” I asked, my voice steady but filled with warning.

Derek’s smirk returned, but there was a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. "That you’ve underestimated her. Perhaps you don’t see the full extent of what she’s capable of. And if you’re not careful, someone else will."

My wolf surged forward again, the possessiveness roaring through me.

Derek had to know the effect his words would have, but he said nothing more, letting the silence stretch thick between us.

---

Derek wasn’t wrong, I didn’t know Olivia as well as I should. But I couldn’t trust Derek to have offered this seed of advice for my benefit. He always had his own interests at heart. Which meant he was trying to sidetrack me.

The realization hit me like lightning, and I narrowed my eyes on Derek, leaning closer.

“This isn’t about Olivia or the Council, is it? This is about Aiden. You’ve always cleaned up his messes. So why not just make him your heir and stop this bullshit vote?”

For the first time, Derek’s composure cracked. His jaw tightened, and his hand clenched around the glass. When he spoke, his voice was low and sharp.

“Aiden?” Derek’s scoff was bitter. “That boy can barely hold himself together, let alone a Pack. He’s no Alpha, Ethan. He never was.”

I blinked, startled by the raw frustration bleeding into his tone.

“Then why protect him?” I pressed, leaning closer.

Derek’s gaze snapped to mind, and for a fleeting moment, there was no cunning calculation there, only exhaustion. “Because I’m tired, Ethan. Tired of his failures. Tired of Chloe’s schemes. But I will not publicly denounce him.”

I stared at him, stunned by the admission. “You have a choice,” he said softly. “You always had one. You already publicly denounced one son, what’s another?”

Derek’s mask returned in an instant, his smirk cold and unyielding. “One son’s disgrace is his own, but two make it mine. Don’t mistake my exhaustion for surrender, Ethan. A weak Alpha has no place leading this Pack or on the Council. Out maneuver Aiden or kill him when there’s a third tie.”

There was no point in responding, Derek had backed me between a rock and hard place with this choice.

As I turned to leave, Derek’s voice cut through the silence. “And Ethan… don’t let your Luna become your weakness. She could just as easily be your undoing.”

I paused at the door, my fists clenching. My wolf growled low in my chest, but I didn’t look back.